Original things for original people.

Monthly Archives: October 2013

I have now less than two days before the sale and strangely enough, I’m almost done. I would still like to make more bears and hats, but I am forcing my arm to rest. The pain is almost gone, but I am not tempting it. I’m thinking and hoping that I will get an order during the sale. And I want to tell the person, “Sure, not a problem” instead of “Could you wait until after Christmas?” All I have to do is pack and redo the sign. But the fact that I am done before the sale, feels strange.

I have been working on Artist Trading Cards where I had come up with an idea of sprucing up the sunflower cards by using the Triple Layer Technique. It did work, my challenge is now to get the colors to match.

I thought that I was doing a good job, until I realized that I royalty screwed up. I thought the size was 2 by 3 inches. It is actually 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. Shoot is right. And I have a pile of pre-cut cardstock and watercolor paper ready to be use. I’m not tossing them out , I might beable to use them as a layer or part of paper piecing.

I’m also toying the idea of mail art. I have been suffering from insomnia for about a month now. I do actually sleep for a couple of hours, but I’m also tossing and turning in bed. I ended up watching You-Tube videos. I find a couple of good documentaries of the Terra Cotta Soldiers, the First Samaria and even a couple of Jack the Ripper. There were a few where I got a couple of ideas for my art journal and ATC. Now I’m watching Mail Art videos. I was thinking of doing one mail art and mail in Canada, after the sale. Just give me something to do while my arm heals. Nope. I’m working on six envelopes right now before the sale.

However one of the envelope has given me an idea using it as part of a letter for my penpal. I’m just going with the flow.

Before I leave, I want to show you an art journal page that I recently completed. I got inspired from the mail art that I did a page on letters.

While searching through the love letters that have been written from people, I admit that I had found a few that made me blush. And there were a few that I actually wished that why can’t my boyfriend write me letters like this. I know he loves me.

These are actually love letters written by Jimi Hendrick and Mark Twain.

I’m actually enjoying working on this journal. I think it is because I miss painting and drawing. And I am thinking that is why I have the desire to work on ATC and mail art.

Not only I found it easy, I also found it addicting. I kept making card after card after card using the same layout, just changing the theme. I think the reason that I like the layout so much is because I was able to use up my leftover embellishments. You know the ones, one or two stickers left on a sheet that you don’t want to throw out, but you cannot find a project to use it on.

This is my blank card where I used my sunflower stamp from my Stampendous Clear Stamps DAISY THANKS set.

This is becoming one of my favourite stamps. I even started trying out ATC.

Well lets just say, the first few attempts, were horrible. However I tried it with this sunflower stamp, this is what I got. I know it needs something more. But compare to my last few attempts, I’m really happy with it.

I also used last week technique that OWH showed of how to make trees using a scallop punch for this sketch. I then punch out the star and small circles for the decoration.

My last card is with my owl punch from Stampin Up. That is when I had to forced myself to stop. I had to work on the other cards for the upcoming sale.

I’m still getting things together for the big sale next week. I forgot to tell everyone of where and when it is in case anyone is interest in it. It is on Nov 2nd, from 10 to 3 pm in Bentley Community Hall in Bentley, Alberta.

My arm is still giving me grief. In fact, while typing this blog out at this very moment is making my arm even worst. So forgive me for this being short and the possible mistakes.

So for the past couple of nights, my evenings have been free. I can still sketch out ideas for my art journals or cards, and I have been busy tagging and packing stuff up for the sale. But I cannot work on the hats which is really stressing me out now. But I do find the irony because I had to postphone my holiday until after the sale because I needed the time to work on my stuff and now I cannot, I could have taken my trip. Go figure.

So my mind has been wandering during this “free time”. I have been toying with the idea of making Artist Trading Cards (ATC) for this show.

Here is a sample by Maria Adams, from the “Browns” series.

ATC are basically business cards for artists. They are the same size as a business card and you do have your contact information on one side. The other side is where you decorate the card any way you like. You then trade them with fellow crafters, and you do not sell them.

I have been thinking of about making 12 to 20 cards and give them away during the sale. A great way to use up all of my scrap paper and get notice.

But as you may recall, I don’t make cards at night because of the lightening.

I think I need to get a new lamp.

Yesterday, I went to the local mall to pick up some more labels. While I was there, the mall was hosting a craft fair. Obviously it was too late for me to enter, but I am thinking of what about next year? Could I get in there? I’mt trying to find the paperwork at their website, but no such luck. I’ll try again, but I am thinking a more direct approach is needed.

However if I can get into that one, I think it will be good for Original Things.

Have you ever had a moment where your own body is arguing with itself? Mine has been doing it for the past two days. I have about two weeks before the big sale and I know that I have to make a couple of more hats and two small bears that are masculine colors. The ones that I have right at this moment are girly colors. I want to make them, but the muscle in my arm has been hurting. And as you may recall, the last time it happened, I pushed on and ended up paying for it big time.

So I am forcing myself to take a break. Normally I can work on the cards or scrapbook, but I prefer to work in natural light and where my workspace is at, the lightening is bad. I can read, watch tv, write a letter or even knit in this lightening, but it gives a yellowish glow. I didn’t realized that it was until the next morning after I made a card, a white on white card. It would have looked great except one of the layers was a cream color. I couldn’t tell the difference until it was too late.

So for the past two nights, my evenings have been basically free. Everything has been tagged and the care instructions have been printed out. I even gave my work table a good scrub which I normally don’t do until after my card making session is over.

However in this mist of the upcoming sale, I did work on my art journal. I thought that this seem fitting.

“A Day Without Knitting or Crocheting, is a Day Without Sunshine.”

It gave me a chance to try out the sun ray technique which quite honestly, it is really not my taste.

I am really hoping that my arm will be better by tomorrow, cause I do not like leaving things last minute.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to complete 100 knitted or crochet projects. Well I can happily say that after 10 months, I have. I can also say that this is probably the first New Year resolution that I have actually kept for a long, LONG time. So in case, anyone was wondering. I have made 55 dishcloths, 18 scrubbies, 1 shawl, 2 hats, 4 scarves and 20 misc.. Misc. as in small items like 1 potholder, 1 toilet paper cover and etc.

So I have been pondering in my brain of what will my New Years’ Resolutions for 2014.

I don’t think I can 200 projects, maybe 150. But I am kind of thinking of using 100 balls of yarn. And I do not mean these balls of yarn:

I mean more along the lines of these balls:

What would be really cool if I can figure out of how to do a counter here. I know there is one to set up for miles. Like if I used 2700 yards of yarn for this project, I would have 1.5 miles of yarn. Except my problem is what happens when I use my odd balls yarn. How do I measure that??

Here is another questions, are there widgets that I can use. Right now, I am looking at them, but so far, I can find jokes, “Did You Know.”, and even My Little Pony.

For almost two weeks, I have been racking my brains of what kind of cards that a four year old girl would like to make with me. The trick is that I am not going to beable to bring my Cricut, or Cuttlebug with me. And if I run out of supplies, I am in deep trouble. It is not going to like before where I used to worked at a store so if I ran out of something, I can pick up more from their shelves. Did I also mentioned that she also happens to be one of my boyfriend’s children, whom I never meet. So yes, I am adding more pressure to myself.

I came up with these two cards.

The mummy card is a classic, but holy cow, it took me two nights to inked the stripes. I am really hoping that I have enough strips. The white paper is actually computer paper. The reason that I choose that is that I have learned when children makes cards, they love to make layers upon layers, upon layers. And if she wants to mail this card to grandma for example, I want her to beable to do that. Not having daddy to pay it as a small parcel. I made extra cards in case, her friends want to make one or she wants to make two.

But instead of using paint, I am planning to use ink. Unfortunately, this ink is not good as Memento ink. However this ink is washable and non-toxic.

The only concern that I have with this card that her hand may be too big. It barely fit my hand. However this the one that I am hoping that she will make more than one card. I hope she will make one for her dad because I am thinking that this will be great framed. But I am trying to figure out of how to fit daddy’s hand inside the card unless we do it landscape.

Well that is the good news. I have a huge sale in Bentley, Alberta in November, so yes, I am busy getting the last minute stuff done. I might have to push the trip back until after the sale. And if so, the Mummy card will not be any good. And it took me ages to figure out this handprint card. I have thought of stamping images on cardstock and she can color it. But then what kind of pattern paper that I can use as well it needs to be unisex in case, daddy wants to make one. And honestly, I can see him cringing on making a pink and fu fu card.

All I have to do for the sale is make more Christmas cards, owl cards, knit more scrubbies, a couple of small bears that are blue, greens, colors that boys will like. I also want to paint small tote bags. The bags don’t take long to do, but it takes at least three days to dry.

But I also know that I am one of those people that have a million bears made, a billion cards made and such, I will still be thinking that I don’t have enough.